PLAYTHINGS AND GAMES IN ANCIENT GREECE.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume VIII, Issue 2355, 24 July 1886, Page 1 (Supplement)

PLAYTHINGS AND GAMES IN ANCIENT GREECE.

It is a little curious to find that the piny things -.which please the boys and girl's of today are nearly tho same as those that were in use among the little Greek children three thousand years ago, The boys and girls of Greece enjoyed their dolls, and hoops, and games of top and blindman's buff as well as those in American homes,. \\\ fact, if we would go back to the streets of ancient Athens in the days of Socrates, we should find tho young folks engaged in tho same games and romps, in many cases, as are popular mnong the youths of modern cities. The first toy given the Greek baby, as it lay on its mother's lap, was a rattle; when it was large enough to play on the floor, it was given it ball of variegated colors to roll about, As snu child grew oldtr, little carts, or miniature waggons, were the next playthings These toys were bought at a great fair, which was attended by awry citizen of Greece once in his life. Boyß then, as now, loved to spin a top with a cord, or to whip it along with a throng. This latter game, as we are told by one of the Greek poets, was played in open spaces and in the

streets : Where three ways meot there bnys with tops are found, That ply the lash, and urge thorn round and round.

The hoop too, was well known to the Grecian school-boys, only little Herodotus and Alcibiudes used to roll tttonao onus, which hncl tiny rings or hells, to make it jingling noise as they were rolled along. Blindman's buff was a fiivorite amusement, only it was called Polyphcmußiind Dlysses. A boy, with his eyes covered by a handle, moved about and spread forth his hands, crying : " Beware!" He represented Polyphemus, who had his one eye put out by Ulysses, while the other beys played the parts of Ulysses and his companions trying to get out of the cave.

There was another game, resembl- \ iiig our hot cackles'or hide and seek,! which they called the " chytrimia." j One buy ha-l bin eyes bound and sat on j the ground; lie was railed ch\ tra, or pot. His companions ran around, pinching and pushing him, and he called out: "I am seeking the brazen j fly;" they answered, merrily: " Yon I may seek, but yon will not find," until j one of their number was caught by the J chytra, and made to take his place, j The " epostrakismos" was like the i modern game of " duck and drakes.'' I The boys stood on the beach, and (lung I oyster-shells edgeways over the harbor, \ and he whose shell made the innst leaps j in the water before sinking won the game, '• Bobbing for cherries" afforded i a great deal of sport. The cherries, j thrown into a pail of water, were to be listed up by the performer with his] mouth; his hands being fastened behind his back. Several children divided themselves into two equal parti -g, and then taking hold oi hands, they pulled till the stronger had drawn the weaker to their sido of the ground. Tin's bore a strong resemblance to what we called " Whigs and Tories" in our bo; hood, In one of their game 3 a number of lads stooped down in a row, with their hands resting on their knees, the last springing over tliu backs of all the others, and then stood first in the row, jw.t as the boys do now at the i;ame of " leap-frog." A game called " scaperdii" consisted of passing a rope through « hole at the top of a pole. Two lads' tunk hold of the rope, one on each side, mid he was the winner who could |tall the otlur the highest from the ground. Throwing the ball, and playing at odd or even for walnuts, almonds, beans, or money, were as common then as now.

The young Greek girls amused themselves liy forming wax into flowjrs and other fancy shapes They also had dolls, or puppets, which, by pulling a string, were made to turn their head and roll their eyes. That which afforded (hem the greatest-pleasure for in-door amusement was the pastime of 'forfeits.' A girl took the part of queen, and had to declare to each a certain fine to be paid. When the queen happened to lie a person of wit the game was made very amusing. Persons of older age quite often indulged in the gain<i. One of the older writers tells us that on one occasion, at a party where forfeits was being played, some of the ladies had evidently painted their faces with rose color to add to their attractions, Thin was observed by tho " i.ueen," who, as a forfeit, directed that a basin und towel be brought, and that everybody should have, hor face washed, which was clone to the great amusement of the company, and the discomfiture of the vain ladies, as the painted colour disappeared from their heeks. Congregationalism